International Rugby League

International Rugby League is pleased to announce the appointment of The Honourable Geoffrey Bellew SC as Head of Judiciary. Mr Bellew will assume the role from Judge Karim Akbar Khan, who is taking up a full-time judge’s role in the United Kingdom later this month. Mr Bellew has had a long and distinguished involvement in the game, including his current role as Judiciary Chair for the NRL and NRLW Premierships, State of Origin and Pacific Championships. He has also served as a Justice of The Supreme Court of NSW from 2012 to 2023.  He is currently Chair of the State Parole Authority of NSW and the NSW Racing Appeals Tribunal. IRL Chair Troy Grant said: “International Rugby League welcomes The Honourable Geoffrey Bellew, SC as Head of Judiciary and is fortunate to have a person of his background for this important role. “I couldn’t think of anyone better qualified or more suited to the position of Head of Judiciary and his experience and knowledge will be invaluable for International Rugby League. “Geoffrey has had a lifelong association with Rugby League and his father Tom Bellew was one of the game’s great administrators, driving reform and significant changes to the game in Australia during the 1980s and 1990s. “Among his many roles in the game, including NSWRL Chairman and Australian Rugby League director, Tom Bellew also served as member of the Board of International Rugby League. “It is therefore fitting that Mr Bellew will now also serve international rugby league as IRL Head of Judiciary.” Mr Bellew has previously been a director of the National Rugby League (2000-2001), Chair of the Northern Eagles joint venture between Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and North Sydney Bears (2000), Chair of Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (2002-2003) and Chair of the NRL Player Agent Accreditation Committee (2008-2011). He was appointed as NRL Judiciary Chair in 2015 and remains in the role. Mr Bellew said: “Rugby League has been, and continues to be, a significant part of my life.  A judiciary system which is fair and open, and which ensures the imposition of appropriate penalties for instances of misconduct, is an important component of the game as a whole. "To be given the opportunity to extend my present role with the NRL Judiciary to the game internationally is a great honour. "I wish to convey my sincere thanks to the Board of International Rugby League for my appointment, and look forward to serving the game in a new capacity".

Congratulations to Nigeria on becoming the first nation to qualify for the women’s 2025 World Series after a evenly fought two match series against Kenya. Kenya won the 2nd match 8-0 but Nigeria advance after winning 22-14 last Thursday. Both sides scored 4 tries apiece but Nigeria kicked 3 goals to 2 by Kenya, who also kicked 2 field goals. The World Series will be played next year between Nigeria (Africa), the winner of a play-off between Greece & Ireland (Europe), the winner of Americas qualifying tournament and Asia Pacific runner up. The winner will gain the final 2026 World Cup berth. Full report: intrl.sport

International Rugby League is bidding farewell to its outgoing Head of Judiciary Karim Akbar Khan, who is taking up a full-time judge’s role in the United Kingdom later this month. Judge Khan became IRL’s first Head of Judiciary in 2020 and has overseen the establishment of a consistent and fair disciplinary process across the international game. He also leaves his roles as the House of Lords Commissioner for Standards and as a Legally Qualified chair of the Metropolitan Police’s misconduct tribunal Panels, having previously occupied senior legal roles in the UK Diplomatic Service and within the Commonwealth.  IRL secretary-general Danny Kazandjian paid tribute to Khan’s legacy: “On behalf of International Rugby League I would like to thank Karim for his almost five years of service. In that transformational period Karim oversaw the creation of the IRL’s first judiciary department, including the drafting and upkeep of our disciplinary rules as well as chairing disciplinary and misconduct committees,” he said. “IRL judiciary is now a trusted independent institution that IRL members and their players know provides them with the necessary protections and support to fully participate in rugby league. The IF was fortunate to have someone of Karim’s calibre and professionalism on board and we wish him the very best of luck in his new role.” Judge Khan, whose appointment by the King as a Judge of the Upper Tribunal precludes him from holding any other remunerated office, said: “Approximately four years ago, I was given the privilege of becoming the governing body's first Head of Judiciary.  “Since then, I have worked alongside incredibly knowledgeable and committed colleagues to strengthen the IRL's misconduct rules and processes for both the elite and grassroots game.  “As I leave this fascinating role, I feel proud of what we have achieved together to promote high standards of conduct, and to place fairness, integrity and good governance at the heart of IRL.”  IRL is expected to appoint a new Head of Judiciary this month.

The women’s qualifying process for IRL Rugby League World Cup 2026 has been finalised with the announcement of the 2024 Pacific Championships draw. Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga will play off over three weeks for the seventh place at RLWC2026, which is being hosted by the ARLC with matches in Australia and Papua New Guinea. Tonga, who were 14th in the latest IRL World Rankings, will play 24th ranked Samoa in Fiji on October 19, with Fiji - ranked 26th - to host sixth ranked Cook Islands on October 26. The sudden death matches pits: - the highest ranked nation of the four (Cook Islands) against the 4th ranked (Fiji), and;  - the 2nd and 3rd highest ranked nations (Tonga and Samoa) against each other. The two winners will meet in Auckland on November 3, with the victor joining Australia, England, France, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Wales as nations to have qualified for RLWC2026. With the growth of women’s rugby league across the globe, a World Cup qualifying process has been introduced for the first time, with tournaments in Africa, the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. The IRL Women’s World Cup 2026, which will be played alongside the men’s and wheelchair tournaments before it is staged as a standalone event in 2028, will feature eight teams comprising of: - Four Pacific nations - Three European nations - Winner of inaugural IRL World Series in 2025. With Australia, New Zealand, England and Papua New Guinea having already qualified as semi-finalists at the last World Cup in 2022, there were 16 nations vying for the remaining four berths. France and Wales became the fifth and sixth nations to earn World Cup berths after winning their pools in European RLWC2026 qualifiers earlier this year. Qualifying tournaments are scheduled to take place in Florida in November - featuring USA, Canada and Jamaica - and Nairobi, where Kenya will host Nigeria in a two-match series in September. The 2025 World Series will be contested by the: - African winner (Kenya or Nigeria); - Americas winner (Canada, Jamaica, USA) - third placed European nation (Greece or Ireland) - Pacific runner-up (Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga). The winner of the World Series will secure the eighth and final place at the 2026 World Cup.

International Rugby League has welcomed Tonga Rugby League XIII as the official governing body for the game in Tonga. The decision to formally recognise TRLXIII ensures stability for the game in the Pacific Nation after the expulsion of Tonga as an IRL member in 2019. TRLXIII has recruited a well-balanced, elite Board of Directors that caters for every layer of Tongan Rugby League. The Board has led consultations with the government, which has also corresponded separately with IRL. The new body has the support of local clubs in Tonga and the National Team, which will play in RLWC2026 under the leadership of TRLXIII. TRLXIII will also oversee the Tonga Women’s Team playing in Pacific Championship qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers later this year. IRL Chair Troy Grant said: “The formalisation of TRLXIII, run by a high quality board, as the governing body in Tonga it’s a huge step forward for the growth of the game domestically and preparation of the National Teams for the 2026 World Cup. “TRLXIII’s constitution, organisational structure, elected Board, National Team and support of local clubs suggests that it will be stable and productive. “The Board of TRLXIII will be chaired by Lord Fakafanua, who is the Speaker of Parliament in Tonga, and includes independent directors, and representatives of the National Team and the local clubs. “I thank the Government of Tonga for their support since 2019, particularly at the last World Cup in 2022, and look forward to the ongoing support of Tonga’s wonderful Men’s and Women’s Teams at the upcoming Pacific Championships.”

International Rugby League has launched an invitation to tender (ITT) for a strategic commercial partner or partners. Organisations interested in bidding for one of the three exclusive partnerships on offer must submit their expression of interest by midnight GMT on 6 September 2024.

International Rugby League is pleased to announce the appointment of John Nicholl as Head of Commercial & Operations - IRL.   Based in Sydney, John is responsible for developing the commercial strategy to drive revenue growth for key IRL assets, matches and events.   Among his main goals are to optimise the value of commercial partnerships, maximise the value of IRL media rights, grow the value of IRL brands and explore incremental revenue streams.   John joins IRL after more than 20 years of experience working for brands, agencies and rights holders in the commercial sports space.   “I am delighted to be joining IRL at an exciting time of major international growth for Rugby League,” Mr Nicholl said.   “With the recently announced Rugby League World Cup to be held in Australia in 2026, along with standalone World Cups in 2028, 2029 and 2030, the opportunity to join IRL to work with key stakeholders to drive revenue growth is compelling.   “IRL’s array of international events, matches and assets represents an incredible opportunity for commercial partners and broadcasters to connect and engage with significant numbers of new & existing fans.   “I look forward to working with progressive organisations who share our vision & growth objectives for Rugby League around the globe.”   John brings with him a decade of experience on the executive team as the Head of Commercial Revenues for Rugby Australia, TEG and more recently the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.   He has led and managed various teams across commercial partnerships, partner sales, ticketing, hospitality, licensed & retail and other key revenue channels.   In each role, John has been responsible for growing revenues and he had established a broad network across the sporting world. Previously, John was a Business Director for WPP Australia, CEO of a sports sponsorship/athlete management business and performed various senior sales and marketing roles with Coca-Cola Australia.   IRL secretary-general Danny Kazandjian said: “John’s appointment is a key part of IRL’s new business model, agreed in 2023.   “IRL will now be able to exploit our rich asset pool through a coherent, long-term international calendar that offers broadcasters and brands a compelling suite of elite rugby league competitions over several years,” he said.   “The increased revenue will allow IRL to invest more substantially into our members and grow the sport globally, deliberately, and sustainably. John brings a wealth of experience from a multi-sport background and is a fantastic addition to the international federation in this new, exciting era.”

Five tendering nations have been confirmed for the IRL Men’s Rugby League World Cup 2030. Initially eleven countries, in total, confirmed expressions of interest in hosting the 2028-30 Women’s, Wheelchair and Men’s tournaments. For the 2030 Men’s World Cup, Kenya, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, South Africa and USA have now moved onto the next stage of bidding. It is the most geographically extensive bidding group in the men’s competition’s history, dating from 1954. South Africa had previously bid in 2017, while the United States was awarded preferred host status for RLWC 2025 before financial difficulties prompted IRL to withdraw that status in 2019. KENYA Kenya’s bid to host the 2030 Rugby League World Cup is bold but would make a huge impact for the game in Africa. NEW ZEALAND With the Kiwis winning the 2023 Pacific Cup and the Warriors being the first elite club team to sell out every home match in a season, Rugby League in New Zealand has never been stronger. New Zealand has the facilities, knowledge and passion to deliver a successful World Cup in 2030, and leave a lasting legacy for the game. PAPUA NEW GUINEA Papua New Guinea is the only country in the world in which rugby league is the national sport and has the most passionate fans in the game as well as strong government and corporate support. SOUTH AFRICA South Africa has the facilities and resources to stage the world’s biggest sporting events and a proven track record for doing so the highest level. South Africa RL president, Dr Frans Erasmus, said the Rugby League World Cup was a chance to put the game on the map in South Africa and across Africa. UNITED STATES The United States is the world’s biggest sports market and has an unrivalled reputation for hosting major events. With a new board and a growing relationship with the NRL, the USARL believe the 2030 World Cup could help take the game to previously unachievable levels in the United States. Each bid will be assessed in February, followed by a joint announcement of the three hosts. 📰 Full article: https://lnkd.in/gsVJP8fW

Three tendering nations have been confirmed for the IRL Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup 2029. Initially eleven countries, in total, confirmed expressions of interest in hosting the 2028-2030 Women’s, Wheelchair and Men’s tournaments. For the 2029 Wheelchair World Cup, France, England and USA have now moved onto the next stage of bidding, which closes in mid-February. England and France met in Manchester in a memorable World Cup final to decide the last tournament, attracting a TV audience of over 1.5m people, England taking the trophy in the final minutes from the French holders. Most recently, USA have hosted Wales in a two-game series in February, their first home international fixtures. ENGLAND England won an epic World Cup final in Manchester in 2022, which has elevated Wheelchair Rugby League to a mainstream sport. “After the success of hosting the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup in England in 2022, we plan to submit a strong and determined bid to bring the tournament back,” said Rugby Football League CEO Tony Sutton. “We have worked hard to capitalise on the huge increase in awareness and popularity of Wheelchair Rugby League since. “Dozens of new teams have been established and hundreds more players of all ages, male and female, disabled and non-disabled, have discovered the unique appeal – and challenges – of the wheelchair game; participation in 2023 increased by an impressive 74% on the 2022 figure.” FRANCE France has a proud history of promoting Wheelchair Rugby League and Federation Française de Rugby XIII would have strong support from the French Government. “For the sport here, France Fauteuil 2029 would be a major boost. The French government strongly supports the development of adapted sports, and the 2029 Wheelchair World Cup will fit perfectly into this scheme,” FFRXIII president Dominique Baloup said. “The FFRXIII's bid project, which is imbued with a sense of ‘Social and Environmental Responsibility’, aims to be a success for society and the general public because it is accessible to as many people as possible.” UNITED STATES The USA competed at their first Wheelchair World Cup in England in 2022 and earlier this year hosted Wales in their first international fixtures on home soil with a two-match series in South Carolina. “One of our primary strategic objectives is to enhance the visibility and awareness of rugby league throughout the United States,” noted USARL chair Matt Goschnick. “Bidding for and hosting major sporting events are pivotal as they not only spark interest but also attract critical investment and new partners to the game, all which are needed for sustainable growth.” 📰 https://lnkd.in/gdRgmm4d